Mtrsical



N. F. MEARS.

MUSICAL RANsPosING DEVICE.

AFPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 15H9.

1,431,972, T r Patented Oct 17,1922.

BJW.W

Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

UNITED STATES eine semen-r eprice.

NEAL n. rims, ,or en roiieoi'rnnmois.

Tocllwiomtmyconcem." Y 1' Bei '.known'thatI'N a citizen -Ortheunid states, and a resident of Chica o, in the county of Cook; 'Statefo'f Illinois, ave invented' certain new arid'useful Improvements 4in 'Musical Tran'spqs'i'rig Devices, of 'which the folovving' 5 is av speci'- icationl.

My invention relates to `an' in1provedt'rans posing chart. which is particularly, usefuliii the musical field for theftralspositinfiif music. M ;"i:

Amongfthe -irrqbortant objectsl of my Vinf vention are:= to rovide afsmple'finexpensive device forca cultingmusical tifa'n's'po'sition.; to providel` a 'device tov 'illustrate `the basic principles of transposition for lall 'in struments and the lare governing their pitches and 'the keys of theirl Vrespective parts; toA provide a. de wic'el .to enable the veriestnovice, knowingmeely thepricess o f rendin and writing notes ax'fd key signatures an having rio `l-rno'Wledgeof. th'c fundamental laws of Incgto correctly transpose; to provide a device to show transposition b placing ,the chromatic scale of onekey a jacent to Vthe 'chromatic scale olf another ke sc thet thenotesuinthe two scalcan compared,"and'tlie recess of tempestive@ will thuebe Simp 's edj inte' matter .ofcompa'risom to provide a device by' means o'f which transposition can be readily made from onenote to another, ,from one key to another from: enyinstrumental part so that any other instrument can play it, from one clef to another and ingeneral to provide an im rovedandMs'implifd structure which wil illustrate theseanll many other transpositions or reorganizations of music.

My impl oved device is disclosed companylngldrawingin which' Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device with part of the upper disc broken away, j

Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrall's'ctional view, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner part of the device showing a different relative osition of the disc members for giving suc information; l

The structure shown comprises three members, a large. or' bottom disc, an upper 'or smaller disc, and en intermediate" disc. These members are connected to be vadapted for relative parallel movement 'either' in `on'the ncstraight linesor alOng curved'line's. :Inthe 191e. smet No: 291,059.

device show-n thedisc members are circular andere pivoted together at their centers to adaptfthem for relative rotational movein ent.V 'The largeur base disc 10 hns the outer and inner rowsll andlQ pri ntefl there on', these rows being circular and concentric. lnltheouter row are-the staff notations comprisin'gfkey'signatnresl and chords of the correspondingmajor or minor keys. In the inner row are the staf'notations comprising themotes of =the respective major or minor scales. The notes are in radial alignment with the respectiveke signature staff notationsJandthese'radia ly aligned stati nota` tions are within segmental fields with radiell extendino' blank spaces 13 between the fle ds.j":Thefief-signatures and the scale xiotes are arranged `in chromatic order, readingcle1c1v ise, and thescale notes when successively read 'form complete chromatic scales'. Associated with each segmental field outsideof the outer row'are the legends 14 indicatin'gtheuumberof Sharps or Hats of the respective'keys,.as forexample 5b 2t, etc'. A*Associated with each segmental field and between the outer and inner staff notatons'thereoffisalegend '15 giving the naines of themajoi or minor key yof the respective signatures as for example D major-B n'un'orz Just-inside 'ofthe inner circle and associated vith each'segmental field is a legend 1 6 gvinof the name of the note show n` asfforex'ampleii', E, F, etc.

'I heu'pper disc member'l?` vand the intermediate disc member 18 are pivoted concentrically o n and with reference to the base member" 10,v as by means of the eyelet c. On the member-17 aroundits periphery are the note steif notations 19 corresponding in arrangementi'end number with those in row 12. The intermediate member 18 has erran ed in acircle just within the row or circle 19the circleQO' containing the same key signature and chord stati notation fields as'theuter row 11 ofthe base member 10, ezicep't that the"order is reverse, that is, the-designated fields read progressively in counterc ook-'wise'direction on the intermediete memberl l.The same legends are provided oifth'e' intermediate member as on the outer r''w'l of the base member. The upper member v17 has a segmental part cut out therefrom to leave the segmental sight opening 21in register 'with the staff notation circle 20 on the intermediate member. The intermediate 4member has a sightframe extending therefrom comprisi vthe sides or .radially extending arms 22 an 23 and the circuinferentially extending outer connecting bar 24, this bar being preferably outside oi the periphery of the base member 10. The arms 22 and 23 are spaced apart to tit the blank radial spaces 13 between the se men tal fields on the base member 10. ien these arms enfrage in adjacent radial spaces they and the 'ar 24 will enclose a sight op-I ening in which appears thesegmental stati notation field between the respective radial spaces, and reading of all the matter in the enclosed field and the adjacent fields is not interfered with. The location of the sight frame on the intermediate member should preferably correspond with the location of the sight opening on the upper member, that is, the sight frame should extend romthat key signature on the intermediate" member corresponding to the note on the upper member adjacent which the sight opening4 appears O11 the Structure shown the sight opening21 is adjacent the note. C, while the sight frame on the intermediatemember extends from the key signature C major 'A minor. If the location of the sight fra-Ine is shifted the location of the sight o ening should be correspondingly shifted. *or example, suppose that the sight frame isishifted to extend from the key signature 'D maj'onB minor, then' the sight-.opening 21 would have been shifted to be adjacent the the note D.

It will be noted that on the lower disc the staff notations for the keys Fifi major and D# minor are Grouped inthe same segmental field 'with the staif notations for the keys Gb major and Eb minor, and that on the intermediate member these joined notations are not reversed but appear in the same relative position as on the lower disc member. This is for the purpose of enabling transposition to be made from the' row l2 to 4the row 19 directly and not by cross reference, thus facilitating the transposing operation.

The operation of my improved transposing chart can now. bel readily understood. Suppose it is desired to transpose .from one key to another, say from the key of.C to the key ot Eb. The procedure is illustrated in Fig. l. The intermediate disc 18 is rotated until the staff notation field for the key of C appears within the indicator frame 22, 23 and- 24. The upper member 17- ,is then rotated until its slot 21- reveals the etjafv notationfor the key .Ehren Vthe circie 2Q. 4With this setting transposition from the key of C tov the key` of Eb can be proceeded with. The notes of the work to be transposed are successively located Qn the large or base disc,-.and radial-ly inside of each such note willbe found the correspond-V ing note of the key to which transposition is being made, lFor examp1ethe note D of the work tb be transposed 'becns the note F in the new key, the note F of they work becomes the note Ab in the transposed key, and so on.'

Music for the piano, violin or voice is oftentransposedso that comets, clarinete, lutes, saxophones', horns and other instruments can play it My device is particularly ada ted for such transposition. Suppose'it is esired ,toy transpose music .written in the key of Db so that it can be played on a Bb cornet. Referring to Fig. 3, the` operation is as follows: Thenpper 'rotated until the note C thereon is directlyrrunder the notation of the key of the instrument` thatis Bb. 4The intermediate member of `the device is now rotated until the key'io'fthe music to be transposed,.in this case Db,-' is indicated between the arms 22 and After such transpositionaisetting the slot in the uppen`,.disc will is htriv"the 'new-key necessiir .A so that a Bb cornet can play' the music w ich was Written in the keyr of Db, the new key' bein Eb. To transpose the music to the new ey the notes aresucccssiveiy located on the large disc and the crreponding notes of the new key located y ra elly within on the upper disc. A great many other transpo'I it'onalpr'ob' lems can be workedont on 4my imprqyed device, as for example, trains'posjfnfgl fm one clef to another, or trans,posing.,any4 in? striimental part so that ,any 1 other llst'ruf ment can play it. ,The opei"eticin'of (the evice is very' simple. Itk involves only'thre adjustable members, and 'after Aa setting; the

required information is clearlgayisibleilliid definite. Onlyrudmentary oivledgebf music isnecessary and after a setting any transposition becomes merel a matter of copying from the upper c the notes transposed from the lower disc. There is4 no ance for error, as the transposed notevap.- pears directly radially within the original note` i I do not, of coursefdesireeto be limited to the exact construction, arrangement andopl desire to secure.;by

ing a row oi key signature notations there- ,i on readingni reverse .orderwto that ofthe key signature notation row of said lower disc member, each member being movable relative to the other members, said upper disc member having a sight opening in register with the notations on said intermediate disc, and a sight frame extending from said intermediate member4 for selecting the notations on said lower disc member.

2. In a transposing device of the class described, the combination of a lower disc member having an outer row of key signatnre staff notations thereon and an inner row of notes thereon arranged in chromatic order, anV ripper disc member having a row of notes ,thereon corresponding to those on the lower member, an intermediate disc member having a row -of keyr signature notations thereon co'lrespondinor with those on the lower member but remi-ing' in-reverse order, said upper disc member having a sight opening adjacent one o`f the note indications thereon and registering with the indications von said intermediate member, and a sight frame extending from the intermediate member' at the corresponding kel;r indicationy thereon for selecting thenindications on the lower disc member. 4 j

3. A musical transposing device compris ing a base member, an upper member', and an intermediate member, said members being connected'for movement along side each other, key signatures and corresponding scale notesv placed `in s acer] apart fields along the outer edfre of t e base member, a sight `frame extending Vfrom said intermediate member to enclose a selected field on the base member, key signature notations around the periphery of said intermediate member corresponding to the key signature notations on the base member but readable in reverse order, note notations on the npper member, said upper'rncmber having a. sight opening in register with the notations on the intermediate member.

4. In a musical transposing device, a plurality of relatively movable members having notations arranged in fields separated from each other by spaces, a plurality of members eac-h having an indicating means whose sides extend along said spaces to enclose a selected field.

5. A transposing device of the class described comprising three relatively shifta-ble members. two of said members having adjacent rows of notes forming complete chromatic scales, key signature notations on said members corresponding with the notes of said scales, and indicating means on two members cio-operating with said key signature notations to determine the setting from said scalerontaining members for the transposition ofone scale to another.

6. A transposing device comprising one member having a row of notes thereon arranged to form a complete chromatic scale, a second member having a similar row of notes thereon parallel with the row on the firstmeinber, said first member having key signature staff notations thereon corresponding with the notes on said member, a third member having key signature stafi" notations thereon corresponding with those on the first member, and locating means on said members whereby setting thereof mayv be accurately made to bring' said chromatic scales into the proper relative position for transposing from one scale to the-other.

7. A transposing device comprising two chromatic scales each having key indicating means aociated therewith, said scales being movable alongside each other to be set for'the transposition vfrom one key to another.

8. A. music transposing device comprising two chromatic scales composed of similar characters and each having kev indicating means associated therewith, said scales being movable alongside each other to be set for the transposition from anjg7 one key to any other key` 9. A transposing device comprising a plurality of members pivoted together ror re1- tive rotation, one of said members having segmental fields separated by radially extending spaces, each field containing the note identification of one of the twelve different tones of the chromatic scale and the signature and chord of the key in staff nota` tion, another of said members having fields each containing the note identification of one of the twelve diiferent tones of the chromatic scale, the third member having fields containing the signature and chords of the key in stai notation corresponding to the signatures and chords on the first mentioned member, and indicating means for setting said members relatively for the transposition of notes or from one key to another. A

10. A transposing device comprising two note identilication rows and tivo key signature rows, the said note identification rows being movable alongside cach other to be set for the trans osition from one key to another and eac note identification row havingr associated therewith a key indicating means operating on a separate key signature row.

1l.. A transposing device comprising two note identification rows and tivo key signature rows, the characters in each row being arranged in sections and there being blank spaces between each two sections, the said note identification rows being movable alongside each other to be set for the transposition from one key to another and each note identification row having associated therewith a key indicating means operating on a separate key signature row.

l2. A transposing device comprising note identification rows and key indicating notasoA tions, the said key indicating notations being separate from the note identification rows and each note identication row harixig associated therewith a key indicating means operating on separate lrey indicating notations.

13. A transposing device comprising note identification rows and key indication rows, the, Seidl-:ey indication rows being separate from thenote identiiication rows and each note identification row having associated therewith a key indicating means operating on a separate key indication row.

14. A transposing device comprising note identification rows and ke indicating nota tions, the said note identi cation rows being movable to he set in position for transposing fromgone key to another and a plurality of said-note, identification rows having associated 'therewith separate key indicating meansroperatlng on separate key indicating notations-- 15. A transposing device comprising note identication rows, each note identification row having associated therewith a separate key indicatin means, thesaid note identification rows eing movable to be set in position for transposing, by comparison of 'characters in said note identification' rows,

fromrone key to another.

16. A transposing device comprising relatively movable members, one of said me1n bers havin a complete chromatic scale of notes, anot er of said members havin@ a similar scale arranged alongside the first mentioned scale and each scale bearing memher having associated therewith means lor determining the setting of said members for the transposition ot notes from one key to another.

1T. A transposing device comprising note identification groups, on separate members and each having associated therewith ke" indicating means whereby each note identi'- Iication group is associated with a defi'n'ite key. 4

1S. A trcnsposing device comprising note identification groups, on separate members and each having associated therewith k'ey' in# dicating means, the said note identification groups being so arranged that transposition may be made by comparison of characters in said note identification groups.

19. A transposing device'comprising` members, each of those which bear note identification groups having associated therewith hey indicating means, the said members' being movable to be set in position for' transposition by comparison of characters in said note identification groups.

20. A transposing device comprising members, each of those which bear note identi# tit-ation groups having associated therewith key indicating means, the said membersl being so arranged that the view of all charactors in said note identification groups in use is entirell.r unobstructed when setting is made for transposition by comparison of ci'iaracters in said note identification o'roups In witness whereof, I hereunto sulbscribe my naine this 12th day of May, A. Dl 1919.

NEALF. MEARS. 

